ANF Pakistan Burned the Drugs Worth of $2 Billion

Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) is greatly doing its job by combating the narcotics smuggling and its use in the country. The department of ANF is currently being headed by the Major General Khawar Hanif. In addition to combating narcotic smuggling, the other duties of ANF are to coordinate and pursue Pakistan narcotics investigation abroad.

With an aim to observe the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Anti-Narcotics Force last month gas destroyed the $2 billion worth of drugs by putting these into the fire that were seized by the NAF in the same month. The drug was burned in remote areas of Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Quetta.

During the ceremony of burning the drugs, Force Commander of Regional Directorate ANF said to the media, “They were allowed to burn the drugs that had been cleared by the courts for destroying.”

These drugs were confiscated by the Pakistan’s Coast Guard over the years and were being used as evidence in litigation. Moreover, the authorities were waiting for the decree of the court as well. After getting approval from the concern authorities, all these burned as part of a nationwide “Drug Destruction and Burning” event.

ANF Pakistan Burns the Drugs

The worth of these drugs was approximate $2 billion and the weight was around 134 ton. These consisted hashish, heroin, and opium. In addition to these three lethal drugs, around 8,000 bottles of foreign liquor and 1,400 tins of beers were also crushed by the authorities with a steamroller.

An official statement was also released by the ANF stating, “The burnt drugs comprised of opium, morphine, heroin, hashish, cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, cannabis and other prohibited chemicals worth around $2.25 billion in the international market.”

Besides other issues, Pakistan has been also facing the problem of drug addiction for last many years. According to reports, there are over 5 million heroin addicts in the country. While the UN Office on Drugs and Crime report over drug addiction in Pakistan has revealed that there are approximately 6.7 million drug addicts in Pakistan with Cannabis the most used drug. This figure is higher than any other country. Over the passage of years, these numbers are increasing at alarming rates and sparking the fears of an HIV epidemic in the country.

To combat with this issue, NAF is working to tackle the drug smuggling and its use within the country.

Pakistan is also considered as one of the main routes for Afghanistan to transport drugs all over the world. According to UNODC, around 75% heroin in the world is being smuggled from the Afghanistan. With Pakistan, that is the main routes for that smuggling, 1 million Pakistanis aged between 15 are 64 are the users of heroin regularly. It is also estimated by the UNODC that approximately 44 tons heroine is annually consumed in the Pakistan that is two and three-time heroin consumption rate of America.

What is Anti-Narcotics Force Pakistan?

Anti-Narcotics Force of Pakistan is a Federal Executive Bureau of the Pakistan that is assigned with the duty of tackling the drug smuggling and its consumption in the country.